It's 2am and I can't stop thinking how strange it is that I'm turning into a whole new person here, while my parents still picture the girl who left in July. We're kind of strangers now, and nobody warned me it would feel like this.

Learned the hard way that hostel bathroom queues have unspoken rules, and I broke every one of them in week one. The senior didi's glare could end entire civilisations. I have since learned my place.

Found a co-op game and now my only real friend here is a girl two rooms down who I've barely spoken to out loud — we just play together every night. Weirdly, it's the safest I've felt all semester.

Watched a comfort film under my blanket with earphones in while everyone else was out partying. Honestly? Ghibli and a packet of biscuits was a better Friday than any club could have given me.

First time living away from home, and some nights the homesickness sits on my chest like an actual weight. I smile through class, then cry while folding my clothes. Is this normal, or am I just weak? Genuinely asking.